If you had been to Monkey Bar last night, you would have seen me working the bar and would have most likely run into these four lovely peeps. Excuse the camera phone shots please, but you are looking at--from left to right--Angelique, Joe, Robert, and Mona.

First of all, Joe and Robert are New York City firefighters and were stopping in for a drink after coming back from a memorial service honoring their fallen brothers. I would like to give a heartfelt thank-you to both of them and all their brethren that risk their lives on a daily basis to make sure that I can sleep safely in my apartment at night. Thank God for people like Joe and Robert.

Now Angelique was looking for a nice cocktail. Something martini-ish, but with a bit different. She wanted to stay away from the sweetness and overpowering flavors that you find in a lot of those trendy drinks out there, but maintain the cool factor of something pretty and unique. I know exactly where you're coming from, Angelique.

I came up with the Tuesday. The name is derived from a conversation Angelique, Mona, and I were having just a moment earlier. I'd give you the details, but someone is bound to get embarrassed, and that's not really what this blog is all about.

So to make the Tuesday, I threw 3 whole black pepercorns, a nice big pinch of mint leaves, and a griottine (brandy-soaked) cherry in a Boston shaker. Then I muddled that stuff up nice and good, really getting the mint smashed as much as possible. Then I poured in a whole bunch (three and a half ounces) of premium vodka. All of that was shaken really good with ice and then strained into a chilled martini glass. I threw in a whole griottine cherry for good measure and handed it over to Angelique for a sip. She loved it.

It's like a New York vodka martini that's a bit spicy, a bit minty, with a hint of silvery pink and touched with green specs. Pretty nice if I don't say so myself. Sure to make any Tuesday (or Wednesday) a bit more fun.